Have you ever wondered if those additives you put in the feed at such low inclusion rates actually make it to each cow?

The most valuable lesson that I learned growing up on a small dairy in Crawford County, Wisconsin, was the very lesson that I never actually learned. You see, my family forgot to teach me the difference between girl jobs and boy jobs. On our farm, the only body parts that mattered were strong arms and a good back.

As a new year rolls in, the big question is always, “What is your resolution?” Some people want to exercise more, eat less, spend less money, save more, spend more time with family and the list can go on.

Welcome to 2017, folks! It’s a new year with new resolutions ... lose weight, spend less, save more …. The list goes on.

Happy New Year’s! The sound reverberates through the world signaling a new beginning. I feel the weight of last year’s unkept resolutions lift off my shoulders and sail into the hope that this year will be different. It’s time to start over with a clean white sheet of new days brimming with possibilities.

If there ever was a movie that captured the American spirit, it was Rocky. A no-name working class guy from the streets of Philadelphia goes up against the heavyweight boxing champion of the world.

Finding myself without a job the summer after my freshman year in college, I asked to be put back into the milking schedule at my parents’ dairy farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. But with the farm growing to 300 cows, my sister, the herdsperson, had filled out the milking schedule with full-time employees.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The following ideas, opinions and random thoughts are NOT necessarily those of this magazine, its affiliates, advertisers, friends, relatives, my ex’s, rodeo clowns or anyone who does not have a sense of humor.

A few months ago, I stepped into my boss’s office for my annual review. I sat down and listened as my boss gave me a lot of positive feedback and a couple of things to work on. He offered me a raise, gave me a generous bonus, and after all of that, I told him I had decided to return to my family’s dairy farm.

My parents always pushed us to be lifelong learners. We watched my dad reading industry magazines. We saw my parents going to meetings about all different business, agriculture and dairy topics. That instilled in my siblings and me that we should always be learning.